Chapter 6
"Welcome!" The Occult Research Club cheered as they raised red party cups above their heads. It had been a day since the attack on the fallen angels at the abandoned church. Raynare had been turned over to the Archduke, who Rias had assured would take care of justly. It had looked as though hope had been lost for Asia Argento. Bringing a servant of God back to life through a devil contract would usually prove most difficult. Despite that the blond nun had returned to them and was now Rias' Bishop. With the new member of her peerage, the group decided to throw a party for her, officially welcoming her to the club.
"Th-thank you, everyone. I'm very grateful…" Asia muttered shyly, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment. She was wearing a simple white dress with slippers now instead of her former religious garments.
"You don't have to be so nervous, Asia. You're one of us now." Rias smiled, offering the blond a cup of soda. The former nun took it gingerly, unable to keep from twitching ever so slightly.
"It's really good to have you here, Asia." Issei said this time, offering a kind grin to her. Asia blushed, casting her gaze away from him.
"I hope we can get along as a team from now on, Asia-chan." Yuuto bows politely, his ever handsome smile shining at her.
"Let's get along." Koneko added, bowing briefly before going back to the snacks provided for the party.
"You should fit in great with us, Asia-chan!" Akeno offered from the side, giving a serene smile.
"I-I'll do my best for everyone, I promise!" Asia blurted, bowing heavily. The club chuckled at her earnestness, knowing the former nun would try her best. She rose from her bow and glanced around the group in question.
"What's wrong, Asia?" Issei inquired, seeing her puzzlement.
"I-I was wondering where Josuke-kun was. I wanted to thank him for helping save me as well." Asia admitted, tilting her head in question. "Where is he?"
Issei laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Ah well, you see, Josuke's hair was acting up this morning, so he's been trying to fix it for a while now."
"Ara ara. Josuke-kun does indeed love his hair quite a bit." Akeno giggled.
"Jojo will be here soon." Koneko explained, biting down on a cookie. Issei blinked in question, raising a brow at the petite girl.
"What did you call Josuke?" Issei asked thoughtfully.
"Jojo. When we were fighting the fallen angels, Josuke-kun accidently told us to call him Jojo. He corrected himself, but for some reason Koneko-chan wants to start calling him Jojo." Kiba explained with a sheepish look, Koneko making no comment though.
"Jojo, huh? I kind of like the ring to that…" Akeno muttered, holding her chin in thought as a small smirk appeared at the edge of her mouth.
"I mean, I think Josuke won't mind, but I guess I've never thought of that as a nickname for him." Issei chuckled, though the name sort of sticking in his mind as well now.
Josuke sneezed loudly as he walked down the sidewalk toward a nearby bus stop. He had finally finished fixing his hair up and was intent on joining the party with everyone else, despite the injuries from the previous day; in fact, they seemed to be all but gone. It wasn't his Stand's work or even Asia's, but more of the fact that he was a fast healer. He never knew why this was, or even questioned it. Sometimes Issei would ask about it, but all he could do is shrug.
"Man, I hope I'm not catchin' a cold…" Josuke muttered, wiping his nose on his sleeve. "But maybe someone's talkin' about me." As he rounded the corner to the next bus stop, Josuke found himself running straight into someone. For the first time since he was little, he actually hit someone taller than him.
"Oh, so sorry sir!" He quickly apologized, clapping his hands together and bowing without getting a good look at the man. It was quiet for a moment before he heard a deep sigh, looking up to inspect the man he ran into.
"It's fine. I didn't see you coming anyway." The man dismissed it, his voice low and serious. Josuke widened his eyes slightly, taking in the figure before him. He had already noticed that the man was taller, but looking at him now he was even larger muscle mass wise. He was sporting a long trench coat like white jacket with matching pants and even a uniform type hat. On the head, it bore a golden anchor emblem, and much to Josuke's wonder, it seemed to merge with his hair, despite both being a different color. He was holding a single leather briefcase, and looked to be in his twenties. Despite this, Josuke couldn't help but feel a slight sense of familiarity in the taller man, almost tempted to ask if he knew him. Am I trippin or does he kinda look like me?
"That uniform…" The larger man said, pulling Josuke out of his thoughts. "Do you attend Kuoh Academy?"
"O-oh uh, yes sir, I do." Josuke said, standing at full length now.
"Do you mind telling me how to get there? I'm new to town and I'm a bit lost." He asked, his tone almost grave if not monotone.
"Oh yeah, no problem." Josuke agreed, offering a polite smile. "I'm actually headed there now. Just hop on the next bus that's coming up with me."
"Thanks, I appreciate it." The man nodded, standing next to Josuke now patiently.
"No problem. You got some business at my school, Mr...?" Josuke inquired, decided to strike up a conversation and learn the man's name.
"Kujo. Jotaro Kujo." The man, now identified as Jotaro, answered. "That's right, I do. I'm looking to meet someone." He answered shortly, but Josuke was okay with that. He was always good at keeping conversations going even if someone else couldn't.
"I see. It's nice to meet you, Jotaro-san." Josuke greeted, using the suffix as a sign of respect toward his much older senior. "Maybe I can help. I'm pretty familiar with some people at the school. My name's Josuke Higashikata by the way, pleasure to meet ya."
Jotaro immediately tensed, widening his eyes in surprise as he glanced into Josuke's eyes. "You're Josuke?" He repeated, making the tall pompadour wearing teen blink in surprise.
"Yeah, that's me. You know who I am?" Josuke inquired, pointing at himself. The taller man was silent for a moment before releasing a heavy sigh.
"Yare yare daze. To think I'd meet you by coincidence. Guess luck is on my side." Jotaro suddenly said, causing Josuke to widen his eyes.
"Wait, you were looking for me?!" Josuke asked in disbelief, Jotaro nodding in confirmation.
"Josuke Higashikata, age sixteen. Your mom's name is Tomoko, who attended a college in Tokyo at the age of twenty one." Jotaro started to list off, further confusing Josuke, but he didn't stop there. "You've lived in Kuoh your whole life. At the age of six, you were sick for fifty days straight without an apparent reason as to why. You even almost died until you miraculously came out of the sickness." Jotaro stopped for a moment, releasing another sigh, but this time it sounded a bit annoyed. "What the hell am I doing?" He muttered under his breath before looking back up at Josuke. "Finally, your father's name is Joseph Joestar."
Josuke slightly tensed at the mention of his father. He had never asked his mother for his name, and didn't bother thinking about him since he was a little kid. It left him with a strange sense of emotion he didn't quite understand. Hearing his father's name for the first time in his life was odd, but it strangely felt empty. He had erased the thought of a father in his life a long time ago, so as to not hurt his mother. Perhaps detaching from that idea in his mind had rendered him apathetic to the subject at this point.
Jotaro waited a moment, assessing whether or not Josuke would say anything. When the teen made no comment, he decided to continue. "Joseph Joestar, still healthy at the age of seventy nine, was troubled about the inheritance of his Real Estate business. He went looking through his family tree and eventually found you. He didn't even know you existed until recently." Josuke figured that was his mother's doing. She never wanted to cause his father trouble, even to this day. She loved him too much. To Josuke's surprise, Jotaro clicked his tongue in annoyance, casting his gaze away for a moment.
"That old bastard. He liked to act like a saint who only loved his wife his whole life." Jotaro spat slightly, clearly disappointed in Josuke's father. Obviously Jotaro had some kind of history with Joseph, making Josuke wonder exactly what that was. "He was out having fun and ended up having you."
"So… how do you know my old man? Are you two related?" Josuke asked curiously, feeling odd to call Joseph his 'old man'.
"We are. In fact, you're technically my uncle. Strange, isn't it?" Jotaro chuckled dryly, causing Josuke to widen his eyes in surprise again.
"My nephew, seriously? That's…." Josuke muttered, unable to believe that a man ten years older than him was his supposed nephew. Not that it was impossible, it was just weird to say aloud. Jotaro obviously felt the same way about it.
"Well, that aside, you can take a third of all of his possessions." Jotaro stated plainly, causing Josuke to raise a brow. "I came here to tell you this because there's chaos over the entire inheritance now."
"W-wait, chaos?" Josuke repeated, Jotaro pausing in question. "What do you mean?"
Jotaro then smiled in amusement of the thought. "Why wouldn't there be? When my grandma, Suzie Q, found out about the affair, she almost killed him over it." Josuke widened his eyes and without warning bowed low.
"I'm so sorry! It's all my fault! I apologize for all the trouble I've brought to the Joestar family!" Josuke apologized, making Jotaro widen his eyes in shock.
"What's wrong with you? Why would you apologize for any of this?" Jotaro couldn't help but ask, a bead of sweat rolling down his brow.
"I-I'm sorry…" Josuke muttered, putting a hand on his cheek in thought. "I just don't like to see family disputes. It's even worse that it's kinda my fault in a way. My mom loved my old man, so I know that's why she had me, but… I don't wanna cause any more trouble." Josuke explained, sighing before glancing up at Jotaro. "Just tell my da… Joestar-san that we're fine with how things are for me, okay?"
Jotaro stared silently at Josuke for a long moment, never expecting this kind of response when he arrived in Kuoh. What's with this guy? I came here to take punches for gramps. But he ended up apologizing and rejecting the offer. How did gramps have a kid this modest? Moments of silence passed again, until finally Josuke noticed the bus arriving.
"Oh, well, it looks like my ride is here. Is there anything else you need, Jotaro-san?" Josuke asked, unsure where else the conversation could go from there.
"... There is one more thing I'd like to talk to you about." Jotaro admitted, glancing up at the bus. "How far is this school of yours? Is it walking distance? I'd prefer it to be private."
Josuke blinked as he glanced at the bus again, unsure of whether or not to get on. Finally he shrugged, waving the driver off. "Yeah, it is. It's only a ten minute walk. Let me just tell my friends I'll be a bit late." He then pulled out his phone, starting to text a message to Issei. "Alright, let's go."
Jotaro nodded, the two walking side by side. To be honest, Josuke wasn't sure how to feel about the current situation. Apparently this guy was technically his nephew, though he would be more inclined to call him his uncle with the age difference. Nonetheless, Josuke couldn't help but feel a bit awkward about the situation.
"Josuke." Jotaro suddenly said, grabbing the teen's attention after a bit of silence. "Is it okay if I call you that?" The teen gave a quick nod in acceptance. "What I'm about to tell you might be a bit confusing, but I think that you need to know. But first I'd like to test something out."
"Uh, sure. What is it?" Josuke muttered, unsure of what he could possibly mean. What happened next caused Josuke to widen his eyes in shock. Above Jotaro appeared a large purple and black being, its body a large mass of muscles. It had long messy black hair on top of its head that seemed to flow on its own in the wind. It also possessed large shoulder pads and black gloves and boots, its waist covered by a loincloth.
"Can you see this?" Jotaro asked, though from Josuke's reaction, he could tell that much.
"No way, you…" Josuke muttered, slowly raising a hand to point at Jotaro.
"I know this might seem odd to you, but this is a-" Jotaro started, but Josuke's next words turned the tables around and threw Jotaro off.
"You have a Stand too?!" Josuke exclaimed, causing Jotaro to recoil slightly. It was silent for a moment, the two staring at each other in shared surprise before Jotaro finally dismissed his Stand.
"You… how do you know about Stands?" Jotaro asked carefully, his stoic exterior slightly cracking for a moment. Josuke started to sweat though, unable to give a very good answer to the question. He wasn't sure sharing about Devils and Angels was something he could do so freely. One, some might think he's crazy. Two, even if he was believed, it was probably not something that he can just talk about freely with people he just met, even if they were somehow related by blood.
"I... I'm sorry, but I can't actually tell you about that right now. There are some people I'd have to let know first. I hope you understand." Josuke apologized, bowing in regret again. Jotaro was silent for a moment, making the tall teen afraid he might not accept that answer. Finally, Jotaro gave a nod.
"We just met, so I don't expect you to tell me all of your secrets. Can I at least see your Stand as well?" Jotaro inquired, making Josuke feel half-relieved that he decided not to push.
"Sure, here it is. I named it Crazy Diamond." Josuke explained, making his Stand appear behind him. Jotaro raised a brow as he inspected it, holding his chin in thought.
"Interesting. It seems to be very similar to mine, Star Platinum. It appears very clearly, so I'm guessing it's really strong." Jotaro observed, looking over Josuke's Stand for a moment. That's a good name for it. I might have thought of that myself. Jotaro mused.
"That's amazing. I didn't think I'd meet another Stand user like me so soon. I just discovered what Crazy Diamondwas recently." Josuke admitted, dismissing his Stand after a moment.
"The reason I'm telling you all of this is because I need to warn you." Jotaro declared, reaching inside of his jacket and pulling out several photos. "Gramps has a Stand too, which he can use to take something called Spirit Photos. When he heard about you, he tried to take a picture of you to see what you look like. But instead, this came up." Jotaro handed the tall teen the photos, letting Josuke take a look. To his surprise, it looked as if a specter of sorts was floating over an unknown house. It almost looked like a ghost, but its face was not human.
"I-is this another Stand?" Josuke asked in shock, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
"We don't know. All we know is that someone dangerous is here in this town." Jotaro said, handing him another photo. "This is Angelo, a sick criminal. Gramps captured a picture of him when he was looking further into the figure above that house. This is the second reason I'm in town, to find this guy and catch him."
As the two were now getting close to the school, Jotaro stopped, turning to walk the other way. "This may not have anything to do with you, but I thought I'd let you know. Be careful, Josuke. This guy is dangerous."
"Hey, wait! But who is this guy?! Is he some sorta big time criminal?" Josuke asked, more questions than answers popping into his head. Jotaro didn't answer for now, deciding to take his leave.
"You could say that. If you end up seeing him somewhere, be careful and don't approach. Just contact me." Jotaro explained as he started to head to a nearby bus stop. "I'm going to be staying in town until I find this guy. I put my cellphone number on one of the pictures. I'll see you around."
Josuke was tempted to call out to him again, still completely filled with questions. He decided to let it go though, capable of seeng that Jotaro was not going to give him any more answers for now. Josuke glanced back down at the photos, narrowing his eyes. I should let everyone know about this.
"Ah, Josuke! There you are! Took you long enough." Issei called out, waving to his best friend. Josuke only nodded his hello before walking into the room. Asia quickly hopped from her seat and skipped in front of the tall teen before bowing lowly.
"Thank you for all of your help!" Asia shouted in exasperation, causing Josuke to blink in surprise. "I know you did a lot for me last night. I am very grateful for the role you played."
Josuke stared down at her for a long moment in question before finally letting a goofy grin cross his face. "No problem. That's what friends are for." He pointed out with a small chuckle. Asia slowly looked back up at him, offering a gentle smile of her own.
"You're late, Jojo." Koneko stated calmly, walking up to him with a juice box in hand and straw in her mouth.
"Sorry about that, guys, I ran into-wait, what'd you call me?" Josuke asked, blinking in confusion.
"What might've caused you to be late, Jojo? Issei said you finished fixing your hair earlier." Akeno asked curiously, making Koneko pout slightly.
"That's my nickname for him…" She muttered, narrowing her eyes at Akeno from the side.
"Why are you guys calling me Jojo?" Josuke asked with a sweat drop before realization hit him. "Oh man, is this about me accidentally saying it before?!"
"It would seem so, Jojo-san." Kiba chuckled this time, causing the teen with the pompadour to almost fall over.
"You too, now?!" Josuke cried out in question.
"Sorry, I couldn't get them to stop using it earlier." Issei sighed with a sheepish smile.
"Do you not like the nickname?" Rias asked curiously, an amused smile on her face. Josuke looked up in thought for a moment before shrugging.
"I guess not. It's not that bad anyway." Josuke admitted with a chuckle. "I still prefer Josuke though."
"I'll keep calling you by name, then." Rias giggled, leaning back against her desk.
"Same here. I can't just start calling you something else after all this time." Issei pointed out with a shrug. "So, what took you?"
Josuke's expression became rather serious, his grin falling as he glanced around the room. "I ran into my… half-nephew I guess you could say."
The room became quiet for a moment, confusion falling over the room. Issei blinked in question, being the first one to speak up. "Your nephew? You have siblings?"
"I guess so. But he was older than me. About ten years I think." Josuke explained, crossing his arms. "He arrived in this town to find me to tell me about my dad." The club room widened their eyes, each one looking from one another in question. Issei himself was the most shocked, for he knew that Josuke never wanted to mention his father if it was avoidable. Not that he hated him, but as to not think about him or make his mother sad at the thought. Josuke saw their confused looks and sighed. "Sorry, I guess I haven't told you guys. I don't know my dad, my mom had me in secret without letting him know. Apparently he found out about me recently."
"O-oh, I see. I'm sorry about that." Rias spoke up sympathetically, but Josuke only shrugged.
"Don't worry about it. I haven't wanted to know him for a long time, so I don't sweat it." Josuke admitted. To the side he caught sight of Akeno, her hands gripped slightly in apprehension. He raised a brow, but didn't bother to comment. Looks like I'm not the only one with these kinda problems. "He wanted to tell me about inheriting a fortune or something, but I turned him down."
"Wait, really?! Since when do you turn down money?!" Issei blurted out in shock. It was true that Josuke was prone to asking Issei or his mom for several bucks every now and then and sometimes would con people he disliked out of several yen.
"Hey now, don't make me sound like some greedy jerk!" Josuke retorted defensively, slightly offended by the remark. "I turned it down because it would have just caused a ton of problems for their family! I don't wanna complicate things for my dad and his family!" Akeno widened her eyes at this, the first to speak up.
"You… don't resent your father?" She asked quietly, but loud enough to grab his attention. Josuke furrowed his brow in question before letting out a sigh.
"Not really. I mean, it's a bummer I didn't get to know him in the past, but it's not like he knew I existed. Besides, it's not like I had a bad childhood. Issei can attest to that." Josuke shrugged with a goofy grin. "I hate seeing family troubles anyway. If I'm taken out of the will, I think things will calm down a bit for them." Akeno was quiet for a moment, almost as if assessing his answer. Josuke wasn't sure what she was thinking, the raven haired devil usually acting quite jovial. To see her act somewhat anxious was a bit interesting for Josuke and Issei. Rias and the rest of her peerage seemed to frown at her sympathetically, all of them aside from Asia most likely knowing her reason for being apprehensive.
Finally, Akeno gave a small smile and a giggle that seemed genuine. "You truly are too kind, aren't you Josuke-kun?" She said, though her features slightly falling as she continued. "I suppose I can't be quite as forgiving as you…" She muttered, glancing down at the floor. Josuke and Issei looked to Rias for answers, but the red haired devil only shook her head.
"Well, it seemed you handled the ordeal quite well, Josuke-kun." Rias said, offering a small smile. "Is that the end of it with your so called nephew?"
Josuke's expression darkened, a small bead of sweat rolling down his cheek. "No, it's not actually. What I have to say next is pretty crazy, though." he let out a long sigh, reaching into his jacket and pulling out the pictures that Jotaro had given him. "My… nephew – man, it's weird to call him that - has a Stand as well."
The club members collectively gasped in shock, each one looking to Rias for answers. The Crimson Queen bit her thumb in thought before nodding. "I suppose that makes sense. Some Stands are inherited through certain bloodlines. Your family must have a very strong bloodline in it."
"Apparently my old man has one too, so I guess that makes sense." Josuke added, showing the pictures to everyone. "But we're not the only ones. He said he didn't know for sure, but Jotaro-san said that he suspects the guy in this picture to be a Stand user as well. I guess he's also a career criminal."
Issei leaned over with the others, getting better a better look at the man in it. Rias, however, was frozen in place. Her gaze was still focused on Josuke, who blinked at her in question. "What's wrong?"
"Your… nephew. What did you say his name was?" Rias asked, her eyes wide as plates almost.
"Hm? Oh, Jotaro. Jotaro Kujo." Rias immediately fell back onto her butt, causing the others to jump to their feet. "Oi, president! What's wrong?!"
"President!" The rest of the peerage called out, moving over to help her up.
"President, are you alright?" Issei asked, quickly rushing to her side. Rias only continued to stare up at Josuke, slightly trembling.
"I can't believe it… for you to come from that bloodline… what are the odds of you becoming involved with us?" Rias muttered, a bead of sweat rolling down her cheek.
"I-is it bad that we're related?! What about my bloodline makes it so crazy?!" Josuke asked in confusion, Rias' words doing nothing to help that. Rias was silent for a moment, looking at the ground in contemplation. Suddenly she pushed herself to her feet, glancing back up at Josuke.
"Josuke-kun. Did you say anything about us or devils?" Rias asked, her expression becoming that of all business.
"No, I didn't. I figured that's not something you guys just want me sharing so freely." Josuke declared, causing Rias to nod.
"Of course, thank you for understanding that without being told." Rias nodded before turning her back to him. "But… I feel that it's unnecessary to hide it from him at this point. If you can contact him, tell him to come to the school tomorrow. I would like to meet him, as will Sona once she hears about this." Rias' peerage collectively gasped, all looking at her in shock.
"You're really going to tell this man about us, president?!" Kiba asked in shock. Rias slowly turned her head to regard her knight, nodding slowly.
"At this point, it will come out on its own to him." Rias then turned to Josuke, crossing her arms under her chest. "It seems that running into us was not mere chance or coincidence, Josuke-kun. You don't know this about your family, but your bloodline has been intertwined with the fate of the world itself."
Far on the other side of Kuoh, a familiar face was currently twisted into that of a sick and lustful grin. He had messy short red hair and pale white skin. He was quite large in both stature and muscle mass. He wore blue jean overalls, a label saying 'Lucky Land Milk' on the chest with a white short sleeved shirt under it. This was Angelo, the same man that Jotaro Kujo was set on catching. Currently, he was pinning a woman against the wall of an alleyway, a knife pressed gently against her throat. She was short but attractive, wearing a knee high orange dress with short brown hair.
"Pl-please…. let me go…" The woman whimpered in fear. Angelo merely shushed her, running the knife gently up her neck to her lips without cutting her.
"Don't try and play innocent with me, you bitch. I saw what you did. Throwin' your cigarettes on the ground like you owned the streets. You need to be taught a lesson…" Angelo growled, licking her cheek and making his victim cry out in disgust. "Now just relax and take what you deserve. I'll have my fun and kill you quick if you do."
"Angelo." A feminine voice called out, causing the criminal to pause. He gazed with his eyes to the side slowly. He grinned as a familiar figure came into view. She was a young woman, looking barely seventeen or eighteen. She was normal in height, standing around five foot seven, and was incredibly curvy. She wore black, skin-tight leggings along with a purple tank top. Silver hair rolled down her shoulders, stopping past her shoulders.
"P-please, help me!" The girl in front of Angelo cried, but was quickly silenced as the large man in front of her put pressure on her neck.
"Hello, my mistress~!" Angelo called out jovially, grinning back at the girl. He pushed off of the wall, though keeping the knife pushed firmly against his victim's neck. "I was just helping myself to a treat! Is there something you need?"
"There is actually, my Knight." The platinum blond spoke, her voice almost music to Angelo's ears. "My network in the Underworld has informed me of another Stand user in town. One that was not made by Nijimura."
Angelo raised a brow in question before nodding. "I see. So do you plan to recruit him? I'm sure it would be an easy task for you to handle."
"Perhaps, but there's a problem: he has apparently allied himself with Rias Gremory. Approaching him may not be so easy." The girl admitted, striding slowly down the alley. "But even so, I would like for you to go and keep an eye on him for me. If I cannot recruit him, he may be a threat to my future plans. I would like to discover the power of his Stand."
"That shouldn't be a problem, mistress!" Angelo cackled, a nearby puddle of water rising into the air. It suddenly wrapped around his neck harmlessly, coiling like a snake. "If you would allow it, perhaps I could attempt to draw out his power?"
The 'mistress' grinned darkly, giving a nod. "You have my permission to do so. But be careful Angelo, we still do not know what he is capable of, so do not directly attack him."
"As you wish, my mistress." Angelo bowed lowly, almost as if to a queen. "When would you like me to start?"
"As soon as possible. At least by tomorrow." The silver haired girl glanced at his victim, whose eyes pleaded with her desperately for help. She only gave a small calm smile before turning around. "You may finish with your treat. But begin once you're done."
"As you wish, my lady." Angelo laughed manically, turning back to the helpless girl in front of him. He ran his tongue across her cheek again, his eyes hiding no amount of lust or murderous intent. "Now where were we?"
Chapter 7
Issei tapped his foot as he waited for Josuke to get ready in his room. Currently the brunette was sitting in his best friends home, relaxing on the couch in the living room. Issei had been a bit worried about Josuke since the day before, and was showing a bit of his apprehension with fidgeting. The mention of Josuke's father was truly odd news to hear and completely unexpected. While Josuke often said he wasn't interested in finding out about his dad or even meeting him, he felt that the taller teen still might have some of his own issues with the man called Joseph Joestar. Still, it was no use trying to lament on it, Issei knew that.
If he wants to talk about it, he will. Issei reassured himself, releasing a sigh. Sometimes it was hard to get Josuke to open up about how he felt, but that's because the tall teen was a generally open boy. And very little unsettled him. Though Issei felt this might be the exception.
"Oh, Issei. I didn't realize you were here." The brunette heard from behind him, turning to see Josuke's mother Tomoko from the kitchen. She was young for a woman with a teenage son, only in her late thirties now. She was still quite attractive and held herself in a very confident way. She wore a simple green shirt and pants that didn't help to hide the fact that she was so beautiful. "Good morning. Are you waiting for my bone head son again?"
"U-uh yes, ma'am. He said he's almost ready so I shouldn't have to wait for his usual hair trip I think." Issei told her, offering a sheepish smile. Tomoko chuckled in response, nodding in acceptance.
"I see. Well then, I hope you two have a good day at school. Try not to get into trouble with anymore girls, okay?" Tomoko told him as she walked back into the kitchen.
"I'll try not to!" Issei agreed, blushing slightly as he checked her out as Tomoko left. Damn, Josuke's mom is as hot as ever! The brunette quickly shook his head, trying to remove such thoughts. Bu-but I shouldn't be checking her out I guess… Josuke almost killed me once when he caught me…
"Freeze!" A stern, elderly voice ordered, Issei immediately holding his hands up in the air as he felt what he thought might be a gun pressed to the side of his head. "Well if it isn't Issei. Hey squirt, I've been gettin' some complaints lately about a pervy brat peepin' in on girls while they're changin'. That wouldn't happen to be you, would it?" The man asked, a certain amount of mischief and amusement in his voice.
"G-geez, gramps! What's with the gun?!" Issei barked in annoyance, lowering his arms and glaring back at the old man. This was Josuke's grandfather, Ryouhei Higashikata. While Josuke no doubt received his looks from the Joestar family, it could almost be said that his size also came from his Higashikata side. Ryouhei, despite his age, was a rather large old man but in decent shape. His features were a bit saggy and wrinkled from his age and his hair gray. He wore a standard police uniform, being an old time cop in Kuoh.
"Oh don't be such a big baby, Issei! The gun's empty!" Ryouhei laughed, slapping his shoulder as he walked past the brunette.
"Do you greet Josuke like that every time you see him?" Issei deadpanned in annoyance, but the elder Higashikata seemed uncaring.
"Only half the time." Josuke called out as he walked down the stairs, giving his grandfather a headshake. "You gonna do that to all my friends?"
"Nah, just Issei. After all he's familiar enough with us." Ryouhei laughed, waving a hand dismissively.
"I don't think I'm comfortable with being that familiar…" Issei sighed with a sweat drop as he stood up. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah, all set. See ya, gramps. See ya mom." Josuke called out as the two left for school.
"Have a good day at school, boys!" Tomoko called out as they both exited the house.
"So were you able to get a hold of that Jotaro guy?" Issei asked, glancing at Josuke from the side as they walked down the street, both boys deciding to walk to school instead of taking a bus to save some money.
"Yeah, I talked to him. He sounded a bit suspicious of the idea, but he agreed to come to the clubroom after school ends today." Josuke explained, making Issei hum in thought.
"I wonder how he'll react. I still can't believe the president is willing to tell him about everything so quickly…" the brunette mused, holding his chin.
"Well, she did say that my bloodline is some sort of big deal or whatever. I'm guessing they'll explain why that is today." Josuke shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets. The conversation seemed to end with that, a silence falling between the two. While not entirely uncomfortable, Issei's worry was still bugging him and forced him to break the silence.
"So, Josuke… are you alright?" Issei finally asked, making the taller teen blink in question before glancing back at Issei.
"Well, yeah. Of course. Why?" As if the question finally registered, he let out a small 'oh'. "I'm fine, bro. Don't worry about it."
"I know you've said you're not interested in your dad or anything, but you know…. just making sure." Issei explained, Josuke releasing a chuckle in response.
"I appreciate it, but I'm fine. Promise." Josuke reassured him, patting the brunette on the shoulder. He turned forward, his expression falling a bit and becoming a bit more contemplative. "To be honest… I was expecting to feel more out of it. But I guess I just blocked it out too much."
Issei was silent this time, unable to provide words of assistance. It was an odd problem to have, to block something out to the point of feeling nothing when the issue hits you out of nowhere. Issei almost wished he had that kind of mental ability to be honest, wanting to forget a certain fallen angel who had tricked him. But this wasn't about him, it was about Josuke.
"So… have you told your mom?" Issei asked, though knowing the most likely answer. Josuke sighed, shaking his head.
"No, of course not. I may not have a problem with mentioning Joestar-san, but you know that my mom still loves the guy. Bringing him up just makes her cry. I can't stand to see her like that when I can help it." Josuke bit his lip, focusing back forward. "Just do me a favor and don't bring any of this up. Even Jotaro-san, or she'll figure out something's up."
"Yeah, no problem here. Lips are sealed." Issei agreed before looking forward. He took notice of a crowd forming ahead of them next to a line of shops. Josuke and Issei glanced at each other in question before shrugging. They walked forward into the crowd, causing an older man to growl in annoyance.
"Hey, dumbass! Watch where you're steppin', you big oaf!" He barked back at Josuke. Issei wanted to tell the guy to go to hell, but the taller teen merely rubbed his head in apology.
"Sorry about that sir." He said, the man only huffing in annoyance before turning away from Josuke.
"What's going on here? Why's everyone gathered?" Issei asked, trying to get some of bystanders attention.
"Heh heh, apparently some robber is in the shop right now." An older woman cackled a bit, looking a bit crazed. "He's got a lady at knife point. Cops are tryin' to calm it all down, heh heh."
"Everyone, stay back! It's too dangerous!" an officer ordered, raising his arms and shoving the crowd back. The mob slightly persisted on staying, but did not resist as the officer forced them backward. The doors to the grocery store were kicked open, and out came a man holding a woman by her neck, a knife firmly pressed against her back. The woman was crying in fear while two policeman were in front, trying to talk him down.
"Nobody get any closer or I'll kill the bitch!" The man warned with a growl, making the officers keep their distance.
"Put the weapon down now! Let her go!" one of the cops called out, hoping to deter the man from any aggressive action.
"Th-that poor lady! I wish we could help…" Issei growled, glancing at his arm and pondering whether he should unleash his Sacred Gear.
"Don't get too excited, Issei. If you get him startled, he'll kill the girl." Josuke reasoned, placing a hand on Issei's shoulder to calm him down. The brunette wanted to argue that they should help, but saw the logic behind his words and sighed, nodding in agreement.
"Alright, assholes. I want a car." The robber told the cops, glancing around and spotting the one that Josuke and Issei happened to be standing close to. "You two, back off! I want that car!"
"J-Josuke, we should get back." Issei told the taller teen.
"Oh, right." Josuke agreed, starting to back away along with the brunette.
"Hey! You with the fucked up hair! I said hurry up and move your ass! You deaf or what?! You want her to die?!"
Immediately Issei froze.
Josuke was standing quite still.
And his hair started to stand up on its own.
"J-Josuke, get ahold of yourself…" Issei muttered, slightly shaking as he realized what was now about to happen. The tall JoJo was as good as deaf to the world around him, only focusing now on the criminal at hand.
"What was that?" Josuke asked, casually striding by the cops who became incredibly alarmed by his actions.
"Get back kid! You'll get that woman killed!" One of the officers shouted to no avail, unable to do much in fear of triggering the robbers anger. The man in question sweated in shock, quite taken off guard by Josuke's sudden action.
"G-get the hell back! Don't come any closer!" He cried out nervously, pressing the knife a little harder into the woman's back.
"Help!" She cried out, afraid for her life above anything else.
"Hey. What did you say about my hair?" Josuke asked, his hands shoved into his pockets casually. The criminal shook in fear, confused and anxious enough to pop a balloon. Finally he gave in, raising the knife.
"Fuck this! I'm gonna kill this bitch!" He declared, getting ready to stab the woman directly in the back.
"Is that right?" Josuke asked, and with unseen power to all save for Issei, Crazy Diamond appeared around Josuke and punched right through the woman and the man like a knife through butter, causing Issei to gasp in shock. When the Stand withdrew its arm, the woman and thief were completely healed.
"I-I'm okay? But I thought I was…" The woman mumbled, but her words were drowned out by the screech of shock from the criminal, who while healed now had the indentation of a knife in his gut. Josuke immediately pulled her away from the criminal should he make another move, but he was far too distracted by the knife stuck inside him.
"Wh-wha-uh?! I have a knife stuck in me! How did that happen?!" He cried out in shock, falling to his knees.
"You were angry? Don't kid yourself. I'm the one who's angry." Josuke scoffed, glaring at the man. "Now go find a surgeon to get that out. I heard prison has some good ones."
The man was quiet for a moment as if the shock was now setting in, but his eyes suddenly went crossed and a stream of water poured from his mouth. Josuke and Issei widened their eyes in surprise, watching as the water seemed to take form into a small body with the outlines of eyes sketched across its body. No way, that's…
"You're the guy from the picture!" Josuke called out, making the Stand cackle.
"I was only supposed to observe and test, but damn you're strong brat!" The watery figure growled as it slunk across the ground.
"Don't move!" Josuke growled as he used Crazy Diamond to lash out and try to strike the being. It merely turned into a puddle of water, the punch doing nothing to phase it as it slipped into the gutter.
"I'll have to see more of that power, brat. I'll be watching you, whenever or wherever you are. You better watch out~!" He cackled before slipping away entirely.
"Damn it!" Josuke cursed as it disappeared before looking back at Issei. "Hey, we need to get a hold of Jotaro-san and the others about-"
"Don't move kid!" One of the cops ordered as they grabbed him from behind. "You're in a lot of trouble!"
"W-wait officer! I'm not-" He called out, doing his best to reason with them despite his previous aggressive act. Issei watched the scene unfold with a sweat drop, unable to do much to help Josuke in his predicament. He let out a sigh and grabbed his phone, dialing Josuke's grandfather up. "Hey, gramps. It's Issei. We might have a problem…"
Josuke was allowed to be released that same day thanks to his grandfather's intervention, being a veteran officer gave him a lot of leniency. And since the girl was saved and the culprit now in the hospital the police couldn't complain too much. That didn't stop Josuke from receiving an earful from his grandfather and eventually his mother once he got off from school and after the meeting, but it was the price he would have to pay. Thankfully he was allowed to go back to school so that he could finish his business with Jotaro and the Occult Research Club.
It was now the end of the day and Josuke was walking with Issei to the club room.
"Man, my mom's gonna be friggin' steaming when I get home." He grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.
"That's what you get for freaking out in the middle of a hostage situation." Issei taunted, making Josuke tense up.
"But he talked shit about my hair! I wasn't about to let that go without beating his ass!" Josuke argued, making Issei roll his eyes. "Besides, we were able to run into the Stand thanks to that."
"That's a great way to reason away the fact that you almost got arrested I guess." Issei drawled sarcastically, laughing as Josuke stumbled. He wasn't laughing for long as Josuke threw him in a headlock.
"I'll teach you to make fun of me!" He growled as they initiated a small non-serious brawl, pulling at each others face to try and make the other cry out and give up.
"You two seem lively today." They heard Rias from down the hall, causing them to pause in their tussle. The two looked past each other to see the red haired devil leaning against the door of the clubroom, an amused smirk on her features.
"Oh, sorry about that prez." Josuke apologized, standing up straight while keeping Issei in his grip. The brunette struggled in his hold, swinging his arms around childishly. "We just had something happen earlier that was pretty intense and we were sorting it out. It's a good thing Jotaro-san's coming by, 'cause I got something to tell him about the guy in the picture."
"Did you meet him?" Rias asked in fear, concern filling her eyes until Josuke waved off the thought.
"We'll explain when Jotaro-san gets here." Josuke told her as he released Issei. "Is everyone here?"
"I decided that the only ones who will be joining in this meeting are Akeno and myself." Rias declared before releasing a sigh. "At least that was my original plan. But Sona has heard about what's going on and she… insisted on coming."
"Sona-sempai?" Issei repeated, sharing a look with Josuke in question. "Why does she want to be here?"
"You remember that I said that she was more informed about Stands, correct?" Josuke nodded in acknowledgement. "Well, it's much more than that. I'll explain once we meet Jotaro Kujo, but she's sort of a… fan of his."
"'Fan'?" The boys both repeated this time. Rias nodded before turning around and opening the door.
"You'll see. Come on, they're waiting for us." The three walked in to see Akeno speaking with Tsubaki Shinra, the girl Josuke met alongside Sona. Speaking of who, the spectacled girl glanced at Josuke with narrowed eyes, quickly walking up to him and grabbing his jaw.
"H-hey, what gives?!" He asked, but Sona ignored him, turning his face side to side as her eyes inspected him closely. Tsubaki let out a tired breath before walking up behind her King.
"I definitely see it. The height, the face structure, the Stand… I can't believe you've been under our noses this whole time…" Sona mumbled as she released Josuke's face and crossed her arms.
"What was that about?" Josuke asked, rubbing his chin in annoyance.
"President was trying to ensure herself that you are truly from the Joestar bloodline, Higashikata-san." Tsubaki declared passively.
"Ara ara, you're getting more and more popular lately Josuke-kun." Akeno giggled from the side.
"And you're sure that it is the Jotaro Kujo coming here, correct? Not some random man who may happen to have the same name?" Sona asked rather intensely, making Josuke raise his arms in surrender.
"How the hell am I supposed to know the difference between a guy I just met and some other Jotaro that you know about?! I just know he's technically my nephew and he's got a Stand!" Josuke defended. Sona watched him for a moment before sighing and nodding.
"Forgive my behavior on the matter. If you knew how important this subject was to me, you would understand." Sona explained, but Josuke shrugged dismissively, unoffended by her actions. "Good. Then prepare Josuke Higashikata, for I also wish for you to-"
Sona was interrupted by a knock on the door, causing the group to turn in regard. "I'll get it." Josuke declared, knowing that he would be the only familiar face to Jotaro. Sona seemed to become rather tense and backed away slightly, her face heating up and starting to breath a bit rapidly.
"You must calm down, president." Tsubaki sighed, rubbing her master's shoulder comfortingly.
"Man, she is some kinda fan, ain't she?" Josuke muttered before opening the door. On the other side was none other than Jotaro. "Ah, hello Jotaro-san! Glad you can make it!"
"You made it sound pretty important." Jotaro pointed out, walking inside past the tall teen. Sona hitched her breath in excitement, unable to process words for a moment as she tried to regain her composure. Jotaro took note of this with a raised brow but said nothing, glancing around at the rest of the room. "So what's this about? And who are all of you?"
"Please allow me, Kujo-san." Rias declared, stepping forward and bowing politely. "My name is Rias Gremory. These are my assistants Akeno Himejima and Issei Hyoudou and our friends Sona Sitri and Tsubaki Shinra. It's an incredible honor to meet you in person."
"A-allow us to make your acquaintance!" Sona declared nervously, bowing next to her rather quickly. Josuke and Issei couldn't help but sweat drop, both wondering what her deal was with Jotaro. As impressively tall as he was, it wasn't like he was a celebrity. One of the two might have heard of him by now at least. Especially a guy who stood out like Jotaro.
The veteran Stand user was quiet for a moment, wondering the same as Josuke and Issei before nodding. "Don't mention it. So are you the people that told Josuke about his Stand?"
"That's correct. We informed him of his ability when I witnessed the power first hand. He nearly killed me." Rias declared with a small chuckle, making Josuke sweat drop.
"You didn't have to put it that way…" He mumbled, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Wait, you tried to kill the president?!" Issei gasped, but Rias silenced him with a hand.
"It was a misunderstanding. Now let us get back on track. I'm sure you're quite curious about how we know about Stands, correct?" Rias asked Jotaro, who nodded firmly.
"It was a power my gramps only discovered around fifteen years ago. They've been around longer but not many people knew about them since usually only the user could see it."
Jotaro declared, looking at the redhead with narrowed eyes. "So how is it a couple of kids have that kind of information? Are you all Stand users as well?"
"We are not. We are something far different than what you know, Kujo-san." Rias explained, taking several steps back so that she was in line with Akeno, Sona and Tsubaki. "This is going to come as a shock to you, but we're not human either. I would like for you to keep an open mind to the best of your ability and listen to what we have to say." Jotaro raised a brow at this, a little taken back by the comment of the girls not being human. It was Josuke who spoke up first before he could voice his concern.
"Trust me, it's not gonna be easy to accept it all at once either. I just learned about all this a little over a week ago." Josuke declared, Jotaro glancing at him from the side with a raised brow. He then turned his attention back to Rias and the girls, silent for a moment as if contemplating his answer. Finally he nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Fine. Go ahead."
Rias smiled and nodded, closing her eyes and crossing her arms. "Do you believe in God, Jotaro-san?"
Jotaro raised a brow at this, the question slightly catching him off guard. "I'm not devout, but I believe there's something out there. After everything I've seen, it'd be dumb to think there isn't."
"Good. Because I can assure you that there is a God. And along with him are the Angels and the Devils. This may confuse you a bit, but all those here aside from yourself and Josuke-kun are devils." Rias proclaimed, causing Jotaro to widen his eyes for a moment. Immediately afterwards though, he clicked his tongue and turned away from the students.
"This is ridiculous. If you brought me here just to tell me some ludicrous story, then I'm not interested." He dismissed, causing Josuke to shake his head.
"Jotaro-san, they're telling the truth. It's not a joke or a prank." The tall teen advised, causing the man to pause for a moment and narrow his eyes at Josuke.
"Prove it then." He retorted, looking back at the group of devils. Rias nodded, glancing at Akeno and then Sona, who gave their own nod in confirmation. The girls stepped forward into a wider line before their aura started to shine. Jotaro tensed in caution as soon afterwards each girl spread their bat-like wings from their backs. Issei soon followed after in hopes to make the point further viable. Jotaro glanced from each devil to the next before his eyes landed on Josuke.
"What the hell is going on here?" He asked dangerously, soon after Star Platinum appearing by his side. "If these girls are what you say they are, then how am I supposed to trust you all?"
"Th-th-that's Star Platinum!" Sona immediately stuttered out in giddiness, causing Jotaro to slightly turn and regard her with a raised brow. "O-one of the most powerful Stands known to devils! With the power to stop time and combat speed exceeding even the speed of light like nothing!" She explained quickly, almost like a comic book nerd who would be seeing their superhero in real life. She nearly fainted from excitement, her Queen Tsubaki quickly going to her side and waving a fan in her face.
"How the hell does she know all that?!" Jotaro asked far more intensely this time, ignoring the fact that Sona had freaked out so oddly.
"Calm down, Jotaro-san! Take it easy!" Josuke attempted to dissuade him, seeing that it wasn't such an easy thing for Jotaro to accept. "But I'd like to know that too! I know our family's supposed to be famous, but how do you know all that, sempai?"
"Please allow me to explain, Kujo-san." Rias said, raising her arms to show that she was not making any aggressive moves, her wings being dismissed along with the others. "In your case, your family is quite famous among Devil's. Sona and myself have heard quite a bit about your adventure over ten years ago to Egypt."
Jotaro visibly became more tense, his Stand never leaving his side. "I'll give you this chance to explain what exactly is going on and why you know about all of that." He warned, dismissing Star Platinum for the moment and crossing his arms. His guard was still up and he was ready for anything, but he was at least willing to hear them out.
"I won't get into the specifics of Devils and Angels just yet, for I'd like to just explain our knowledge of your family." Rias explained, feeling better about the fact that Jotaro was not about to try and fight them so suddenly. "In our community, there are certain humans who grab the attention of the Devils. Throughout history it would usually be humans like King Arthur, Joan of Arc or Hua Mulan. These heroes of the past achieved weapons called Sacred Gears, holy weapons bestowed upon them by God. But your family was able to grab the attention of Devils without such things. Even before your own grandfather Joseph Joestar." Jotaro narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but was quiet as he let Rias continue her tale.
"Over one hundred years ago, the man named Dio achieved the powers of a Vampire through the stone mask." Rias declared, a knowing look crossing the JoJo's face for a moment. "It was a much larger deal than you might think to the community of Heaven and Hell. The supernatural was meant to be kept in check in the human world, but Dio's intelligence and ambition was strong, making him a very viable threat of taking over the world at that time. Hamon users were the only ones capable of stopping him from doing so, but he was expanding so quickly it was feared that Heaven may have to directly intervene, breaking certain pacts and rules." Rias then smiled thoughtfully before continuing. "But then came the man named-"
"Jonathan Joestar." Sona suddenly spoke, clearing her throat and pushing the glasses up on her face as she assumed a more professional expression. "I can take over from here, Rias. I do know more about the history of the Joestar's achievements."
"Try not to faint again, then." Rias teased lightly, earning an embarrassed grunt from the bespectacled girl.
"I don't care who explains it, just keep going." Jotaro interrupted, while not totally impatient was still a bit on edge.
"One question, though." Josuke spoke up first, pulling attention to him. "What's Hamon? He didn't have a Stand? Also, Vampires are actually a thing?"
"Please allow us to continue with the story and explain later. I do not wish to waste Jotaro-san's time." Sona said, bowing in apology to the elder JoJo. "As Rias was saying, Dio was stopped by your great great grandfather, Jonathan Joestar, before his empire could expand tremendously. Doing such a feat in the human world was a great achievement for a human without a Sacred Gear."
"You keep mentioning these Sacred Gears given by God. What exactly can they do?" Jotaro asked curiously, his demeanor becoming a bit more relaxed than before.
"There are many Sacred Gears that exist, all with different abilities. Issei here was a human who possessed quite a powerful Sacred Gear of his own." Rias spoke up again, indicating to her pawn.
"H-here, I'll show you." Issei spoke up as confidently as possible, holding up his arm and summoning his Boosted Gear. The red gauntlet covered his forearm in a flash of green light, causing Jotaro to raise a brow.
"Interesting. Until now I thought the only powers humans can possess are Stands and Hamon." Jotaro spoke honestly before glancing back at Sona. "Continue. What else is known about my family?"
"Once Jonathan dethroned Dio, he became revered as a hero to the community of Heaven and Hell. Sadly he perished during a trip with his wife shortly after these events. We don't know the exact details of it ourselves for we thought his story might end better for him, but-" Sona began, but Jotaro quickly held up a hand.
"Then here's something for you to know. Dio was on the ship that my great grandfather was on. In fact he was there to take his body for his own. But he didn't have enough strength to get himself out of the boat, so he hid inside a casket at the bottom of the ocean." Jotaro explained, causing Sona and Rias to gasp in shock, looking at one another.
"Th-that does explain why he came back… it has been a mystery to the Devil and Angel community for some time…" Sona declared, holding her chin in thought before glancing at her Queen. "Tsubaki, take note of this new find. I'm sure that it would bode quite well to take note of such news."
"Yes, president." Tsubaki agreed before opening a notebook and quickly penning down the information.
"Back to our story, we move onto your grandfather and… apparently Josuke's own father, Joseph Joestar." Sona said carefully, glancing at Josuke from the side. The tall teen seemed a bit interested himself, though he showed no other emotions to indicate how he felt about it other than that. "Dio had turned into a vampire through the means of the Stone Mask. An item invented by a race of ancient vampires above even the likes of Dio."
"Gramps called them Pillar Men." Jotaro declared, with Sona nodding in acceptance.
"Yes, I do remember hearing them called that during the stories since they were sealed away in pillars. Along with his mother Lisa Lisa and his friend Caesar Zeppeli, the grandson of Jonathan's teacher, Joseph Joestar combatted the Pillar Men." Sona continued, pushing her glasses up. "They planned to become the ultimate lifeforms, something that would pose a challenge to all including even Devils and Angels. But thanks to the efforts of your grandfather they were all defeated. Even after one of them was able to achieve that form. Of course it didn't come without sacrifice, Caesar Zeppeli losing his life as well." Finally Sona sighed before looking up at Jotaro. "Then, fifty years later, your story came along."
"You don't have to tell me about that one. I know all about it." Jotaro interrupted, feeling no need to hear it.
"Aw man, I was gettin' real into it too." Josuke muttered in disappointment.
"I wanna hear about it too." Issei whispered back.
"The important thing to know is that your family has a long line of heroes, which is very rare considering most families have their line disrupted or even sometimes their children stray from the path of their ancestors." Rias spoke up this time. "Of course, we had no idea that Josuke was from your family when we met him. But fate seems to have brought us together. For that reason, we thought that telling you what we are now before later would help save you from any trouble relating to Devils you may run into in the future."
Jotaro was silent for a moment, seeming to contemplate the entire story. Finally he turned his glance toward Josuke in question. "How did you end up meeting these people, Josuke?"
"My friend Issei here was attacked by a Fallen Angel and killed." Josuke declared, shoving his hands in his pocket as the memory made him slightly churn his stomach. "I couldn't save him with my Stand's power, which can fix almost anything including people, but Rias here was able to bring him back to life as a Devil."
Jotaro didn't say anything in answer, glancing back at the girls in question. He wasn't sure what to make of this turn of events honestly. It was a lot to take in and learn at once. He had more questions than answers, but truthfully he wasn't up to stand around asking questions all day. He then turned back to Josuke again. "Then tell me: do you trust these 'Devils'? Can I trust them?"
Josuke was slightly thrown off by the inquiry, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek. He quickly composed himself and let out a sigh before smiling at Jotaro. "Honestly I was real skeptical of 'em at first. I had no idea what I was dealing with. But as we all started to hang out and fight together, they became my friends. So… yeah, I do trust these guys."
Rias and Akeno smiled in thanks toward Josuke, feeling quite flattered by his words. Sona remained quiet, though looked a little perturbed for whatever reason. Issei patted him on the shoulder with a smile, offering a small chuckle. Jotaro was quiet on the other hand, taking a moment to consider Josuke's words for a moment. He sighed and nodded, his eyes meeting Josuke's again.
"Alright then, Josuke. I'm going to trust you to know what you're doing and that I can at least consider your friends my allies for now." He then turned to Rias and the others with a more serious expression. "I can't say I'm completely accepting of the idea of working with Devils as you call yourselves, or even the idea that you are what you are. But you can see my Stand, so it definitely makes you different than anything I know of. Thank you for telling me all of this. I may not fully trust you yet, but it's a start."
"Of course, we can't expect such things to be so easy to accept. I'm sure most others might have reacted more sensitively to be honest." Rias nodded, allowing a small smile on her features. "Thank you for being patient with us."
"Yeah." Jotaro nodded, turning around to leave. "If that's the last of everything, I'll take my leave then." At this, Sona gasped in fear, quickly reaching out toward Jotaro.
"Pl-please wait, Jotaro-san!" She said, sounding almost desperate. She quickly tried to compose herself and cleared her throat. "I-I have a… request for you."
Jotaro glanced back at Sona from the side with a single raised brow. "What is it?"
Sona slightly withered under his gaze but held strong as she reached into her bag and pulled out a book. She slowly walked up to Jotaro before bowing lowly and holding it out to him. "Please sign my book, Jotaro-san!"
Jotaro visibly widened his eye, wondering what this was about. Josuke and Issei shared a wondrous look at one another while Rias and Akeno chuckled knowingly, Tsubaki letting out a sigh. "What are you talking about?" Jotaro asked, unable to figure out why Sona would want that.
"Y-you see, as we have explained, your family became quite famous among our people, and your story was quite amazing. They even published a book on the details of your adventure. I grew up being… quite a fan of the stories. So to me this would be… quite important. I'm sorry if it's an inconvenience or annoying. But would you please sign my book?" She asked hopefully.
Jotaro was silent again, his hat shading over his eyes and revealing no sign of how he felt about it. Josuke felt a bead of sweat roll down his cheek, hoping that Sona wouldn't get crushed. But thankfully, Jotaro finally reached out and took the book in his hands and looked at the cover. It was rather thick but had a simple cover with a simple title engraved in holographic letters on the front.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
The title caused Jotaro to raise a brow. "How did the writer name the title?"
"Well, whether by coincidence or on purpose, each of your famous family members were called Jojo. I'm not sure where he got the word bizarre from but it did become quite catchy…" Sona admitted, glancing up from her bowing position slightly. Jotaro stared at the cover again before giving a rare smirk and opening the cover.
"Yare yare daze. I guess bizarre does fit the description of what happened to us." He admitted with a small single chuckle, signing inside the cover before handing it back to Sona. She handled it with great care, her face flushed from excitement before bowing again.
"Thank you, Jotaro-san! It's greatly appreciated!" Sona said in appreciation. Jotaro let out another short chuckle before turning around and leaving. He stopped in the doorway though and glanced over his shoulder at the group.
"One last question. Because the story is well known, does that mean pretty much everyone knows about my ability to stop time?" He asked curiously, earning a small head shake from Rias.
"It would have been very dangerous for that information to leak out. The ability to stop time, especially at the scale that you and Dio were capable of performing it at, is no small power. Many would seek to try and make either of you reincarnate as a devil servant. With that knowledge, the Maou decided to keep that information only within high family circles. Sona and myself know of it because of our royal blood." Rias answered truthfully. Jotaro was quiet for a moment before sighing.
"At least I haven't had to deal with that before. Thanks, that helps a bit. Later, then." He said before walking out. It was silent in the room for a moment before Josuke released a loud sigh and took a seat on the couch.
"That went better than I thought it might. He scared me there for a minute." Josuke admitted, rubbing the back of his neck in relief.
"No kidding. Your Stand was strong but I can't imagine how strong his was." Issei griped, taking a seat next to him.
"You seemed to have quite the good time, Sona-sama." Akeno giggled into her hand. The bespectacled King seemed to be too busy swooning over the book in her arms to notice her teasing, her glasses fogged up.
"President, are you still planning to insist?" Tsubaki inquired quietly, holding her hand up to whisper to Sona. The shorter haired girl blink as she was pulled from her musings before nodding and wiping her glasses off.
"Since it has been confirmed without a doubt Josuke-kun, I am inclined to no longer evade the question." Sona stated, turning to Josuke and pushing her glasses up on her face before pointing at him. "Now! Become part of my peerage, Josuke Higashikata!"
Silence filled the room after her loud proclamation, and Josuke merely stared at Sona wide eyed.
"What?!" Both he and Issei shouted in shock, Rias herself blinking in question before turning on Sona rather quickly.
"Sona! What's this about?! You've never been so bold to ask someone to be in your peerage in such a fashion!" Rias inquired, narrowing her eyes at Sona, but the bespectacled girl merely smirked.
"It's true, usually I would not be so forthwith. But due to recent revelations, Josuke Higashikata has become far too interesting to pass up." Sona declared with a dark smile. "The son of Joseph Joestar, a Stand user and a powerful one to boot. Come, Josuke-kun. There must be something you wish to obtain. In exchange for whatever you might want, you must become part of my peerage!"
"Why do you say it like I'm already agreeing?!" Josuke exclaimed, pointing a finger at Sona. "I don't want anything and I'm not interested!"
"B-but she said anything, Josuke…" Issei stated, tucking on his shirt from the side. His nose was slightly dripping with blood, a dastardly smile on his face. "Yo-you could have anything you want…"
"Oi, don't go gettin' pervy fantasies! It would be my wish anyway!" Josuke growled, shaking him by his collar before turning to Rias. "Pr-president! help me out here!"
"Josuke is right. He is not interested in joining your peerage!" Rias pointed out, a smug smile on her face.
"Yeah!"
"He's going to join my peerage after all!"
"Ye-wait, what?" Josuke stopped short, his eyes turning into plates as he looked at Rias.
"Oh come now, Josuke-kun. It's not like the thought has never crossed my mind. I just wanted to give you time to get used to us." Rias giggled, smiling back at him. "But now that Sona is being so blunt, it wouldn't do me any good to wait, now would it?"
"Ara ara, you're even more popular than I expected." Akeno giggled from the side. Josuke was taken back, glancing from Rias to Sona, both of their eyes turning into that of predators.
"Come now, Rias. Do you really think you have more to offer him than I do?" Sona asked with a confident grin, crossing her arms.
"I think I can make a few good suggestions." Rias declared, crossing her arms as well but under her chest, making her large, ample breasts stick out even more than usual as if to intimidate Sona. Static erupted from the two, clashing together before both looked at Josuke. "So, what's it going to be?" They asked in unison. Josuke looked back and forth between the girls with his eyes before releasing an awkward chuckle.
"Y-you know, I forgot to tell Jotaro-san about seeing that Angelo guy, so uh… I think I'll go and tell him right now…" Josuke trailed off, slowly edging toward the door.
"Why don't you call him so that we can talk about this after?" Rias cooed knowingly, her and Sona edging toward him slightly.
"N-no no, this is somethin' I should tell him in person. So I'll see you girls-later!" He quickly said, grabbing the doorknob and swinging the door open and dashing out. Rias and Sona blinked at the speed he took off in, the red head chuckling as she turned back to Sona.
"All teasing aside, Josuke is a good friend of mine. Let's not push him too hard about it." Rias offered, but Sona only shook her head and chuckled.
"Don't try and play me. You think because he's part of your club that you'll have ample time to let him warm up to the idea. But now that he's in my crosshairs, do not expect to win him over so easily." Sona proclaimed before glancing at Tsubaki. "Come, Tsubaki. Let's take our leave. We must plan and gather as much as we can offer if we are to take Josuke Higashikata as part of my peerage."
"Yes, president." Tsubaki complied, grabbing her bags and carrying them out. Sona turned back to Rias and extended her hand.
"May the best Devil win." Rias extended her own and shook Sona's firmly, smiling confidently back at her.
"I plan to."
Angelo was rather pissed about the turn of events that happened with Josuke. Initially the plan was to try and take him hostage when he went for the car, but events didn't quite play out how he would have liked. In fact it was driving him more insane than usual. He never liked being one up'ed or losing one of his targets. While the girl was bait, he was planning to have more fun with her later.
"That little fucker's Stand is fast and strong. Punched right through the girl and the guy I was controllin'." Angelo explained, now speaking with his King over the phone.
"Interesting. So he was heartless enough to kill the girl just to get to you? And over an insult against his hair? Sounds like good material for the peerage." She cooed in answer with a light giggle, but Angelo steamed from the suggestion.
"No fuckin' way! That brat's soft! He can heal or somethin' like that, 'cause he didn't just punch through me, he healed the chick after he hit us and same with my puppet! Hell, he even left the damn knife in the guy!" Angelo growled, wanting to get his hands on Josuke and rip him apart.
"Oh, really? Still though, he remains no doubt interesting. I want you to keep an eye on him a little longer. Do not engage this time, just watch." She told him, but Angelo only grinded his teeth.
"But mistress, I can't let him get away with that shit! Thinkin' he owns the streets and can just walk up like that! I need to teach that shit a thing or two!" He argued angrily, huffing in frustration. For a moment, the line was silent and he wondered if his master had already left the line. Finally, he heard a light sigh from the other side.
"Alright then, do as you wish. You may kill him if you get the chance. Since he's supposedly met Rias he most likely knows enough about Devils by now. It's better safe than sorry to eliminate him instead of hoping I can manipulate him into my services.
Angelo's face morphed into a sickly, malicious grin. He started to cackle maniacally and spun on the tip of his toes. "Don't you worry, mistress~! I'll be sure to kill that shit eating boy! He won't be a problem for you!"
"Good. Then have fun over there, my Knight. Let me know if you need any assistance. But I trust you can handle it well on your own." The line cut off from there, making Angelo let out another gurgle of a laugh.
"Don't you worry mistress, it'll be done~!" He repeated to himself. He brought his phone back in front of him, flipping through the apps and looking for one having to do with the weather. "Now let's see if we are lucky enough for a peaceful rainy day…"